1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pipe handling systems for handling a tubular pipe. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pipe positioning apparatus operable with a pipe pick-up and lay-down system for use in wellbore operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the drilling of oil and gas wells, it is known to employ various types of tubular pipe. Such pipes include drill pipe, drill collars, production tubing, well casing, and riser pipe. Such pipe is delivered to the drilling rig, and laid in individual joints horizontally upon a pipe rack. In the case of land wells, the pipe is typically delivered by a flat-bed truck. For offshore drilling, the pipe is delivered by barge or on a large floating vessel.
In order to use the pipe on the drilling rig, it is necessary to transport the pipe from the pipe rack to the rig floor. However, picking up and laying down drill pipe, casing and other tubular goods presents certain hazards to personnel on the rig floor. In addition, the manual handling of pipe, even with the assistance of wirelines, creates a risk that the pipe threads may be damaged. These concerns are magnified by the ever-increasing height of rig floors necessitated by the drilling of deeper wells.
Various patents have issued which provide pipe pick-up and lay-down systems. These systems typically involve the use of wirelines or cables to transport pipe from a pipe rack or truck bed to the rig floor. Such patents include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,450 issued to George on Jan. 1, 1985;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,210 issued to Crocker on Sept. 29, 1975;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,630 issued to Beck on Jul. 11, 1978; and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,193 issued to Teague on Apr. 4, 1978.
These patents disclose systems that, while commonly used, require manual manipulation of pipes.
Other patents have attempted to reduce the involvement of rig hands in the handling of pipe by providing a trough for lifting pipe from the pipe rack to the rig floor. Such patents include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,566 issued to Beaman, et al. on Nov. 25, 1980;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,898 issued to Thompson on Sep. 13, 1983; and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,498 issued to Dysarz on Nov. 12, 1985.
After a pipe is delivered to the rig floor using a pick-up and lay-down system, an elevator is attached to one end of the pipe to remove the pipe from the trough and place it above the wellbore. Once the elevator lifts the pipe from the trough, the free end of the pipe is manually positioned above the wellbore. Because the free end of the pipe is unsupported, this task generally presents a hazard to the personnel on the rig floor as they try to maneuver the pipe above the wellbore.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a pipe handling apparatus operable with a pipe pick-up and lay-down system to assist with the positioning of the pipe above the rig floor. Further, it is desirable to provide a pipe handling apparatus operable with a pipe pick-up and lay-down system to control the movement of the free end of the pipe as it is lifted from the trough.